Distributing apparatus



A 1945- M. E. FERNALD 2,381,893

DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS Filed March 11, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet l 1945- M. E. FERNALD DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed M apbh 11,- ;942

lg I giiiii Aug 14, 1945. M. E. FERNALD DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS Filed March 11, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet-4 a disposition of shells which is very slow.

Patented Aug. 14, 1945' UNITED STATE DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS Mark E. Fernald, Beverly,

United Shoe Machin ton, N. 1., a corporati Mesa, assignor to cry Corporation, Flemingon of New Jersey Application March 11, 1942, Serial No. 434,301'

' 19 Claims. (Cl. 198-32 My invention relates to apparatus by which articles may be taken from a mass and arranged or distributed in accordance with a definite plan, itbeing herein disclosed in connection with such to be used in the production of cartridges for fire-arms.

In the manufacture of cartridges, metal shells or casings are drawn to cylindrical form and closed or flanged at one end, the opposite open end being with or without a reduced neck. This open end is heat-treated to facilitate further operations upon the cartridge. An effective way of applying heat to the shells is to support them upon their flanged heads in a series upon a conveyor, which advances them for a-predetermined period through an electric annealing oven. The feedin of the shells to the conveyor has heretofore generally been accomplished manually, a procedure An object of my invention is to supply the shells or other articles for their treatment, accurately positioned and at a rapid rate.

In achieving the above object, I combine with a receptacle for a mass of the articles, a plurality of raceways to which said articles are delivered in plural series, and mechanism by which such plural series are received and combined in a single series. This single series, comprising articles from all the raceways, may be delivered upon a conveyor which advances them for their treatment. Cartridge-shells rest upon their heads for the combining operation, being thus arranged .for the later application of heat. The rate at which the articles are delivered by the combining mechanism may be about ten a second, which is much more than can be attained in any known manner and with greater certainty as to posi-- tion. For the combining of the plural series, there is provided a channel to which each raceway delivers individually, and a channel receiving armechanism,

Since articles diilering at their opposite ends are to be selectively positioned, as the cartridge-shells which are to be supported upon their heads for the combining and succeeding operations',.inverting mechanism receives the articles from the raceways and delivers them correctly placed to the combining mechanism. Into the inverting each series of articles in the raceways is preferably forced, as by a rotatable roll extending into each. raceway and engaging the successive articles therein. Because delivery from the article-receptacle to the raceways is best in excess of the rate at which they are used after their emergence from the combining mechanism,

means is included in each raceway for discharging articles therefrom if they accumulate. This means may consist of a displaceable member held yieldably in its normal position by a spring-actuated device and deflected by articles gathering upon it.

The positioning device of this case has been made the subject of a divisional application, filed in my name in the United States Patent Ofilce on March 30, l9-i3and bearing the Serial Number 481,113.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating one of the many possible embodiments of the invent on,

Fig. 1 shows my improved distributin apparatus. in side elevation;

Fig, 2 is an enlarged the raceways on the line II-II of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3, an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal section, partially. in elevation as seen from the ticles from all the raceway-channels, there being means movable to advance the articles along the channels and force them between articles in other channels. This forced introduction may also product rotation of the articles to prevent clogging. As herein disclosed, arcuate channels are furnished by concentric guldeways or slots in a guide-plate or member, with a single guideway or slot to which the concentric portions dea liver. A rotatable feed member engages the articles to advance them along all the guideways. Angular connecting guideways between the arcuate guideways are so arranged that they transfer the articles from one to another in such a manner as to aid in the prevention of clogging.

side opposite that of Fig. l, and including a portion of the drum and associated raceways;

Fig. 4, a horizontal sectional detail on the line IV-IV of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5, a view, similar to Fig. 3, at the delivery end of the raceways;

Fig. 6, a front elevation of the selecting and inverting devices viewed from the left in Fig. 5;

Fig. '7, a vertical sectional detail on the line VII-VII of Fig. 5;

Fig. 8, a perspective view of the mechanism by which articles in plural channels are combined and delivered to a single channel;

Fig. 9, a broken top plan view of the combiningplate;

Fig. 10, a broken side elevation of the raceways, particularly illustratingfthe overfeed-discharging means; and

Fig. 11, a separated perspective of elements of the inverting device.

transverse section through R revolve within said for operation upon such articles as cartridgeshells S, those illustrated having cylindrical bodies or barrels, at one end of each of which is a flange s and at the opposite end a reduced neck 8', between which neck and the barrel is a shoulder 8''. These shells are taken from a mass in a rotatable drum D, arranged therein .by oppositely rotating rakes. R, distributed from the drum to a plu- T21R10, of raceways W, and delivered by a selecting and inverting mechanism I, with their flanged ends down, to a, combining mechanism C. Here, the shells are collected from the plural raceways and combined in a single series upon a conveyor T, by which they are transferred to an operating P int.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings, there appears a frame I carrying the apparatus with its driving mean-s. Upon the upper portion of the frame, a base I2 is mounted, this furnishing the principal support for the elemens of the apparatus. .From one side of this base rises a standard I4, in which is journaled a short hub I6 projecting from one side of the drum D contain ing in a mass of the shells or other articles to be operated upon. The drum is shown as made up of two heavy rings I8 and 28 (Fig. 4), from which project outwardly lighter conical heads 22 and 24, respectively, to the latter of which is secured the hub IS. The ring I8 rests upon two spaced rolls 26, 26, rotatable about horizontal axes upon the base I2. The head 22 is open at the center at 28, to permit the introduction to the drum of its contents. Between the rings I8 and 20 are clamped by bolts 38 two narrow rings 32, 32, spacedequally from each other and from the outer rings I8 and 28 by sleeves 34 surrounding the bolts. This produces an annular series of spaces 35, each of which is of such dimensions that it may receive one of the shells S to be distributed. These settle themselves from the mass within the drum into the spaces, there resting temporarily upon an arcuate surface 36 formed in the base I2 and into which the periphery of the drum fits. To facilitate entrance of the shells into the successive sets of three spaces each from the mass of shells riding above them, the inner edges of the rings 32 diverge outwardly at 38, and the inner sides of the rings I8 and 20 are similarly inclined at 46.

To level the massed shells in the drum D, and temporarily retain them in the lower portion to settle into the spaces 35, a plurality of the rake-s drum and in the opposite direction, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 3. In an axial bore in the hub I6 of the drum is journaled a shaft 42, to the end of which at the center of said drum is fixed a spider 44, having three radial arms. To the outer end of each arm is pivoted a lever 46, extending generally in the direction of revolution and having in its rear extremity a slot, in which is clamped one of the rakes. As may be seen in Figs. 3 and 4, this rake is formed of bent wire, it having a double shank 48 by which it is clamped. From the shank it is curved rearwardly and outwardly, and then the opposite sides are separated at 50. Between these sides, the wire is bent alternately forwardly and rearwardly to form two sets of teeth 52, which act over the interior of the drum at the opposite sides of the spaces 35. The sets of teeth are joined at the rear by a cross-run 54 of the wire, which travels over and is somewhat removed from the spaces 35, so the shells which are entering these shall not be interfered with. Each of the levers 46 is held yieldably back against a stop-arm 56, projecting from the corresponding spider-arm, by a tension-spring 58 connecting the forward end of the lever to the hub of the spider. This permits the. rake to accommodate itself to irregularities in the mass of shells, and to yield still more if clogging occurs.

To rotate the drum D and the spider 44, there appears in" Fig. 1, mounted upon the frame it below the base I2, a motor 60. This, through reduction gearing contained in a case 62', rotates a horizontal shaft 64 journaled upon the frame. The'shaft, through clutch mechanism 65 controlled by a hand-lever 66, drives a pulley 68 about which, and about a belt-surface I0 upon the drum D, passes a belt I2. By this connection, the drum is rotated at a relatively low speed. A roll I3, adjustably mounted upon the base, engages the belt to maintain it under the desired tension. Fixed to the hub I6 is a belt-pulley 14 connected by an open belt I6 to a pulley I8, rotatable about a spindle 88 projecting horizontally from the lower portion of the standard I4. The pulley I8 has a second-belt surface 82 of less diameter than that for the belt 16, and about this and a pulley 84, secured to the shaft 42, passes a crossed belt. By this belt-gearing, the rakes R are revolved at a somewhat greater speed than the drum and oppositely thereto. The rate of speed is such as to insure a continuous action of the rakes over that portion of the drum which is rising to its discharge-point.

As the shells S are elevated upon the sleeves 3 in the spaces 35 along the arcuate base-surface 36, they arrive at the upper forward extremity of said surface, where they are delivered to the raceway-structure W, carried in successive sections between spaced plates 88, here shown as four in number (Fig. 4). These plates are secured to a forward projection 98 of the base I2, and thence are inclined downwardly to a set of vertical plates 92 of the selecting mechanism 1, to be later described, rising from a bracket 9t attached to the frame I0 (Fig. 1). Between the plates 88, just above the upper end of the basesurface 36, are clamped three short bars 96, having formed in their upper edges V-grooves 98 furnishingdorwnwardly inclined raceways. As appears in Fig. 3 of the drawings, as the rising shells upon the sleeves 34 pass from the arcuate surface 36, they contact with the end-surfaces 85! of the bars 96, these ends being inclined upwardly and forwardly from the vertical. Reaching the grooves 98, the shells tilt forward and overbalance, to slide down the grooves. If a shell remains erect upon a sleeve, it might fail to be delivered properly, being thrown out of the apparatus. To prevent this, its upper end engages a leaf-spring I00, which projects inwardly from a supporting block I02 secured to one of the plates 88. The shell, in its ascent, tensions the spring, bending this upwardly until, as the shell leaves it, a force is exerted which snaps said shell back into the drum, to be again elevated. The shells received by each raceway pass under a light curved spring-finger I04, fixed to the end of an arm I86 pivoted at I08 upon one of the plates 88, and held by gravity against a stop-pin I ID. If there is a tendency for the shells to overlap and ride upon one another, the upper one contacts with the finger and is held back as said finger fioats upon it, until it assumes its correct position behind the leading shel1.

It is desired that there be delivered by the drum a somewhat greater quantity of articles than can be utilized, this being to ensure an unbroken supby each terminal I ing it to offer vancing the shells.

"with it 01 the belt I2 by I secured to a removable cover I50 for ply at the operating point. Clogging may also occur in advance of the raceway-bars 96. To dispose of any excess which may thus accumulate, the bars 96 are'spaced at I I2 from bars I I4 of the succeeding raceway-section. The latter bars are clamped between the plates 88, similarly to the bars 96, and are grooved and forwardly and downwardly inclined in a like manner. Pivoted to each bar H4 is a displaceable terminal-portion I I6. This terminal is held normally up into alinement with the body of the bar, as appears in Fig. 3, by a spring device d. Pivoted to each terminal force of which maintains the'terminal normally raised. As the shells are projected from the raceway-bars 96 across the space II2 under the influence of gravity, they fall, one by one,'upon the terminals II6 to continue along'the raceway-bars.

II4. If for any reason the shells back up upon any one of the latter bars, as appears in Fig. 10, they will finally reach theterminal. The force of the spring is such that one shell will not displace said terminal, which may, however, be lowered by a second shell falling upon the first, and if a third strikes those preceding it, the spring will yield suificiently to spill all into the space between thebars 88 to waste into a receptacle. This action will continue until advanceof the shells along the raceway is resumed below the space. It will be noted that one arm of a toggle-lever is furnished I6 between its pivot and that of the plunger, and a second arm between the plunger-pivot and that of the cylinder. As the load upon the terminal increases, the deflection of said terminal tends to straighten the toggle (Fig. 10), the compression greater resistance. But the leverage through which the received shells act becomes more effective. There is thus approximated a uniform resistance of the terminal to deflection. The discharging deflection of the. terminal 'will be to such an angular position that it will strike a stoppin I26 projecting from one of the plates 88. Under the influence of gravity, aided by the jar produced by the contact with the pin, the shells will slide from the termina The rebound from the pin assists the spring I22 in returning the terminal promptly to its normal position to receive and direct the succeeding shell upon the racewaybar II4.

The raceways are extended beyond the bars I I4 by bars I24, curved upwardly to give more nearly horizontal movement of the shells as they leave the raceway, and being spaced from said bars I I4 q at I28 (Figs. and Situated in these spaces positively and uniformly ad- This consists of a roll I30 having a grooved or V-shaped periphery, which may be faced with some such friction-material as leather I32 (Fig. 2). The rolls for all three raceways are fast upon a shaft I34 rotatable in spaced brackets I36 (Fig. 1), attached to the outer sides of the outer plates 88. Secured to the shaft is a pulley I38, through which the rolls are rotated in the direction of the arrow by a belt I40, passing over a ,pulley I42 upon a horizontal shaft 44 journaled in the base I2. A pulley I46 turns with the pulley I42 and is driven through engagement which the drum D isrotated. I Rotatable upon the base is shown a guideroll I48, holding the belt 12 in proper engagement u I46. ,OppOsite each space I28, and with the p lley the conesis means for more ponding raceway, is a leaf-spring I52, it passing through an opening in the cover and having a downwardly curved portion opposite the peri hery of the roll I30. The space between the roll and spring is such that each shell traveling between them is held against said roll to be urged forward by its rotation. To cause the force thus exerted to be applied to an unbroken series of the shells, there is shown as projecting through the racewaycover a second leaf-spring I54 bearing against the last shell which rests wholly upon'the raceway.

I I6 is a plunger I I8, reciprocable in a cylinder I20 pivoted upon one of the bars of the spring I22 caus- The shells below the roll are therefore held in contact with one another against the action of gravity.

Since thepresent apparatus is designed to operate upon articles with their opposite ends differently formed and to deliver them with the same end in one direction, there is situated beyond the raceway-sections I24 the selecting and invertin mechanism I mounted upon the plates 92 (Figs. 5 and 6). Between the plates and individual to each raceway, a delivery-throat I56 is formed between an inner filler-plate I58 and an outer filler-plate I60, tapering downwardly and inwardly to a discharge-passage I'62. At I63 the opposite edges of the filler-plates are grooved to facilitate the movement of the shells between them. The

outer filler-plate is arranged by slot-and-pln mountings I84, I64 to swing outwardly and upwardly, so access may be had to the throat to relieve clog ing. Supported at I66, between the upper portions of the plates 92 above each de-' livery-throat, is a leaf-spring I68 having secured to its lower extremity a clamping plate I69, provided with front and rear spaced walls (Fig. 11). Between these walls, by a bolt I10, the spaced arms of a loop I are held for vertical adjustment. Also vertically adjustable, by slots through which the bolt passes, is a wall or abutment I14 lying outside the spring I68 and a' contact-pro-' jection I16 extending inwardly and upwardly therefrom. Each spring with the loop, abutment and contact member, is variable as to its normal position by engagement at the inner side with an eccentric stop I18, having projecting spindles rotatable in the plates 92, and which may be turned to different angular positions and fixed by a setscrew I19, threaded into one of the plates 92 and engaging one of the spindles. The tension of the spring may be changed by a lever I80, fulcrumed between the plates 92 and hearing at its upper extremity against the inner side of the spring. The lower end of each lever lies opposite openings I82 in theplates 92, and has an angular projection I84 extending into one of these openings. A screw I86 is threaded horizontally through the outer edge of one of the plates and into the opening, where it carries nuts I81 engaging the opposite sides of the projection. As the screw is turned and the upper end of the lever swung outwardly lie end-to-end, they approaching the throat I56 with either the flanged end s or the neck-end s in advance. In Fig. 5 of the drawings, the neck of theleading shell is forward. As the seriesof' by the roll, the neck passes with the shells is forced ahead into the space within the loop "I,

shoulder s" bearing against the arms of said loop. The flanged end of the shell rests in proximity to the forward end of the raceway-bar I24. As the advance of the series of shells by the roll continues, the loop and supporting portion of the spring are deflected outwardly, the necked end of the shell passing above the groove in the upper edge of the filler-plate I60. This continues until the flanged end of the shell has left the racewaybar IN. At this time, the deflection of the spring has brought the contact member I16 against the upper side of the shell, and exerts thereon a force urging the flanged end sharply down, so it is turned in the throat I56 about the closed lower end of the loop III, as a pivot, and falls, flange down, into the discharge-passage I62. To render certain the downward direction of the flanged portion, the upturned end of the contact member I16 continues the pressure upon the shell, as the spring bends. Had the shell left the raceway flanged end first, the weight of this would have been sufficient to overbalance it upon the end of the raceway before the loop had been reached. This shell also would fall flange foremost into the discharge-passage. If shells or other articles have a portion beyond the flanged or heavy end cylindrical throughout, instead, of necked at the open end, the space between the arms of the loop would be made of suflicient width to pass this end of the shell without deflection of the spring, the arms acting merely as lateral guides. The wall I14 now becomes effective to bend the spring outwardly, the delivery of the shell, flanged end down, being as already described. It is ,to be noted that this wall I14 may also be utilized for the delivery of necked shells, the space between the arms of the fork being of a width which will pass the barrel, as well as the neck.

Upon leaving the selecting mechanism I, the discharged articles enter the combining mechanism C, by which the series of articles from all the 'raceways are brought together into a single series. Carried upon the top of the frame Ill beneath the mechanism I is a block I96 (Figs..5, 7 and 8), recessed at its upper face'to receive a rotatable disk I 98.. This diskis fixed to the upper extremity of a vertical shaft 200, rotatable in a depending portion 202 of the block. A pulley 204 secured to the lower end of the shaft is joined by a belt 206 to a pulley 208 (Fig. l), fixed to a vertical shaft 2IIl journaled in brackets 2I2, 2I2 upon the frame, and driven constantly from the shaft 64 through bevel-gearing 2M. Resting upon the block I96 above the disk I98 is a plate .2I5, in which are three concentric arcuate slots 2I6, 2I8 and 220 furnishing channels or guideways successively spaced from one another (Fig.

The inner slot H6 is connected to the adjacent slot 2"! by a slot 222, which lies at such an angle that its entrance into said slot M8 is not greatly widened over that which it joins. The slot 2I8 is similarly united to the slot 220 by a slot 22. These connecting slots are spaced from each other along the arcuate slots. The entrance-ends 226 of the three arcuate slots are of sufficient diameter to admit the leading flanged ends of the shells S. The slots 2I6, 2I8, 222, 220 and 224 are of less width, having opposite walls 221 sufliciently spaced to pass said shells, while the under face of the guide-plate 2I5 is spaced from the upper face of the disk at 228 to admit the shell-flanges. Beyond the connecting slot 224, the outer arcuate slot 22Il is continued by a slot 230 providing a terminal-guideway or -channel, which may be straight. Registering with the openings 226 are passages 232 in a. guideblock 234, attached to the upper face of the plate 2w. Upwardly expanding throats 236 at the top of the passages 232 register with and facilitate the entrance of the shells discharged by the respective passages I62.

As the shells, delivered by the three raceways, descend flanged ends down through the passages I62 and 232, they fall upon the upper face of the disk I98, which may be covered with such material as leather, indicated at 238, to increase the frictional effect. Projections 240, depending from the inner edge of each filler-plate I80 and lying close to the upper extremities of the shells as they rest upon the disk, guard them from falling forward in their descent. When the flanged ends of the shells rest upon the friction covering of the disk in any one of the passages 232, they are at once urged forward into the corresponding channel furnished by one'of the slots 2| 6, 2I8, 220, and along these in series toward the terminal-slot 230.

As a shell in the channel 2I6 reaches the connection 222, or one in the channel 2I8 arrives at the connection 224, they are delivered, respectively, to the channels 2I8 and 220. In each case, the series join to reach the terminal-channel 230 ina single series made up of shells from all three of the raceways and their discharge-passages I62. As the series of shells meet, they may be so related in the extent of their advance, that one emerging from a connecting channel will enter readily between two shells in the receiving channel, or the reverse may be true, the shell from the receiving channel arriving in advance of the other. The meeting shells may, however, so engage each other that there is a tendency for both to be locked against advance. This is as shown in Fig. 9 by the shells a and b. But the inner shell a is held back in its bodily movement under the influence of the rotating disk I98 by contact with the angular corner 246 of the plate 2I5. The frictional effect of the disk upon the outer portion of the head of the shell, which projects beyond the connecting channel, is to start it in clockwise rotation about its vertical axis, and to tilt it outwardly and rearwardly against the shell 1) in the outer channel, starting this in opposite rotation by the engagement. The inner wall 221, just at the rear of the connecting channel through which the shell a is arriving, and the outer wall 221, opposite said connecting channel, are both inclined slightly upwardly and inwardly at 241 to facilitate this tilting engagement. As the two shells roll upon each other, the eflect is to initiate movement of the inner shell back into the connecting channel, while the outer, acted upon by the disk with a greater force, due to the longer radius and consequent increased rate of travel, advances, pushing the inner shell out of its path. This inner shell is thus left ready to enter behind the outer shell, and no clogging can occur.

Shells at the junctures of the channels 2I8 and 222 and 220 and 224 may be in rotation about their vertical axes, and are at this time free from retaining eflect produced by the extension of their flanges into the space 228 beneath the plate 2I5. When thus free, their rotation may exert an upward force, tending to lift them spirally from the channels. To prevent such displacement, there extends over each of the channel-junctures a horizontal guard-wall 248- (Fig. 8), which lies close to the upper ends of the shells, and which The'pin 254 is headed, and

. tending from the block.

is engaged by g is supported upon a vertical wall 250, secured to the plate 2 I5 opposite one of the connecting channels. To prevent interference with the advance shells having irregular ends, the walls 248 may be arranged to yield upon the supporting walls. For this purpose, they are free to lift along guidepins 252 and 254 projecting above the walls 250. between'the head and the wall 248 a compression-spring 256 is interposed, this yielding against any substantial force applied by a shell. At 258, the rear edge of each wall 248 is inclined downwardly and in the direction of travel of the shells. If the upper end of a lengthened shell strikes this incline, it will displace the plate and pass on without interference.

At its exit-end, the terminal-channel 230 bends into parallelism with the conveyor-belt T, which is shown in Figs. 5 and 8 as operating over a pulley 260. rotatable about a spindle 262 projecting horizontally from the outer side of the block I96. The upper forwardly traveling run of the belt T moves over a horizontal supporting table 263, ex-

Spacing thimbles 264 rise from the table at each side of the belt and carry overhanging strips 265 beneath which the flanges s of the shells pass, tipping. At the outer extremity of the table, the conveyor-belt passes about an unillustrated pulley and returns over a driving pulley 266 (Fig. l) anda tightening pulley 268. This pulley 268 is mounted for vertical adjustment at 210, so its position and effect upon the conveyor-belt may be varied. The ulley 266 is secured to the outer end of a horizontal shaft 212 journaled in the bracket H2 and in a second bracket 214 attached to the frame Ill. At its inner end, the shaft is Joined through bevel-gearing 216 to the constantly rotating vertical shaft 2I0. By bevelgearing 218, the shaft 212 is connected to a horizontal shaft 280, one extremity of which is seen them if they rise. Each guard-wall three channels 2I6, 2I8 and 220 in the plate 2I5,

preventing these from in Fig.1 as rotatable in the bracket 214. The

.shaft 280 may serve to drive other conveying means to which the conveyor T delivers. It may be that this second conveying means should be actuated continuously; if, for example, the shells are to be passed through an annealing oven to receive for a predetermined period heat-treatment of the necks s. .This result is attained by the driving system illustrated, since, although the distributing mechanism may be entirely stopped by manipulation of the clutch-lever 66, as for the making of adjustments or the. clearing of clogging, the rotation of the shaft 2 I0, and therefore the travel of the conveying system, continues as long as the motor 60 is in operation. Consequently, any shell which the distributor has delivered to the conveyor T, will be forwarded for the, reception of its complete treatment.

In usingthe apparatus for the distribution of cartridge-shells. these are supplied through the opening 28 of the rotating drum D,.they gathering in amass at the lower portion thereof. The rakes R, moving oppositely to the drum, even the mass to facilitatethe entrance of the shells into the successive transverse sets of three spaces 35 between the revolving sleeves 34. These sleeves elevate the shells in sets along the basesurface 36, and the ends of the bars 96 in the raceway-structure W; Over the upper edges of the bars the shells tilt outwardly, to slide down the grooves 98 to form plural series. If a shell balances vertically upon its sleeve, it will engage the corresponding spring I00 to be returned rality of arcuate guideways, each of the inner of delivery, and means movable to advance the y g 5 thereby to the drum. Shellsoverriding each other in the grooves 98 are separated by the spring-fingers I64, and'are'the rojected across the spaces II2 toward the raceways I I4, to be received upon the pivoted terminal-go rtiensl I6. If for any reason shells so accumulate upon abar II4, that a plurality gathers upon the terminal, this yields, allowing the received shells to te until normal advance is resumed. Reaching o of the driven rolls I30, each shell is urged for ward upon the corresponding raceway-bar I24 against the series preceding it, toward the inverting elements carried by the spring I68 in the mechanism 1. If the headed or flanged end s of a shell happens to be forward, its weight is sufficient to tilt it down upon the end of the bar I24, so it falls, thus positioned, into the dischargepassag I62. If the reduced neck s' of the shell leads, it enters and is held up by the loop "I of the spring, until, as said spring yields under the pressure of the advancing series, the headed end of the shell leaves the raceway and falls, assisted by the force exerted by the tensioned spring, into the discharge-passage. Delivered to the mechanism C, through the passages I62 and 232, the series of shells are received side by side in the with their headed ends resting upon the rotatin disk I98. Through the connections between these, channels at predetermined points, the three series of shells are combined in a single unbroken series in the channel 230, to be received and transferred by the conveyor T at a high rate of speed to a point at which they are to be operated upon.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1.In an apparatus for distributing articles, a receptacle for a mass of the articles, a. plurality of .raceways to which the articles are delivered from the receptacle in plural series, and combining mechanism by which such plural series are received, carried side by side and combined in a. single series, said combining mechanism having means for forcing articles in one series between those of another series at predetermined points and for rotating the thus-engaged articles in contact with one another.

2. In a distributing apparatus, a receptacl forv a mass of articles, a plurality of raceways arranged to receive articles from the receptacle and to advance them in plural series, a channel individual to each raceway and to which said raceway delivers its series of articles, the individual channels delivering to other channels at points successively separated in the direction of travel, a terminal-channel receiving articles from the individual channel having the most advanced point articles along the channels and to force said articles from individual channels between those in other channels.

3. In an article-distributing apparatus, a plurality of arcuate guideways, connecting guideways between adjacent arcuate guideways, said connectin guideways being paced from one another along the arcuate guideways, a single guideway to which all the other guideways deliver, means for pplying articles to each of the arcuate guideways, and a rotatable feed member engaging the articles to advance them along the guideways.

4. In an article-distributing apparatus, a pluguideways having an angular connecting portionleading into the adjacent oute u a way, guideway continuin ,theouter arcuate guideway, and a rotatable eed member engaging the articles to advance them along the guideways.

5. In an article-distributing apparatus, a plurality of arcuate guideways, each of the inner guideways having an angular connecting portion leading into the adjacent outer guideway, a wall o he uidew'ay tb which the angular portion is ted being inclined from the vertical, a ngle guideway continuing the outer arcuate guideway, and a rotatable feed member engaging the articles to advance them along the guideways.

6. In an article-distributing apparatus, a plurality of ancuate guideways, each of the inner guideways having an angular connecting portion leading into the adjacent outer guideway, retaining means extending over the junctures of the connecting portions with the outer guideways, a single guideway continuing the outer arcuate guideway, and a rotatable feed member engaging the articles to advance them along the guideways.

'7. In an article-distributing apparatus, a plurality of arcuate guideways, each of the inner guideways having an angular connecting portion leading into the adjacent outer guideway, retaining means extending over the junctures of the connecting portions with the outer guideways, said retaining means being arranged to yield away from such junctures, a single guideway continuing the outer arcuate guideway, and a rotatable feed member engaging the articles to advance them along the guideways.

8. In a distributing apparatus, a guide-plate having extending through it a plurality 01' concentric slots and a single slot to which all the concentric slots deliver, means for supplying articles to each of the concentric slots, and a rotatable feed member engaging the articles to advance them along the slots.

9. In a distributing apparatus for cartridgethrou-gh it a plurality of concentric arcuate slots, each of the inner slots delivering to the adjacent outer slot and a slot continuing the outer arcuate slot, a disk rotatable beneath the plate and upon which the shells in the slots rest, and means for supplying shells to the arcuate slots.

10. In a distributing apparatus for cartridgeshells, a horizontal guide-plate having extending through it a plurality of concentric arcuate slots, each of the inner slots delivering to the adjacent outer slot and a slot continuing the outer arcuate slot, a retaining wall extending over the juncture of an inner and outer slot, a disk rotatable beneath the plate and upon which the shells in th slots rest, and means for supplying shells to the arcuate slots.

11. In a distributing apparatus for cartridgeshells, a horizontal guide-plate having extending through it a plurality of concentric arcuate slots. each of the inner slots delivering to the adjacent outer slot and a slot continuing the outer arcuate slot, retaining walls extending over the junctures of the inner and outer slots, a mounting upon which each retaining wall is movable, a spring interposed between each mounting and its wall, a disk rotatable beneath the plate and upon which the shells in the slots rest, and means for supplying shells to the arcuate slots.

12. In a distributing apparatus for flanged cartridge-shells, a horizontal guide-plate having extending through it a plurality of concentric arcuate slots, each of the inner slots delivering to the m mu r slot and a slot continuing the outer arcuate slot, a rotatable disk spaced from the underside of the plate and upon which the shells may rest, the bodies of the shells lying in the slots and. their flanges extending beneath the plate, and means for supplying shells to the arcuate slots.

13. In an apparatus for distributing headed articles, a receptacle for a mass of the articles, a plurality of raceways to which the articles are delivered from the receptacle in plural series, combining mechanism by which such plural articles are combined in a single series, inverting mechanism receiving articles from the raceways and delivering them to the combining mechanism, and means acting upon articles in the race ways for urging said articles toward the inverting mechanism and thereby rendering it effective.

14. In an apparatus for distributing headed articles, a receptacle for a mass of the articles, a plurality of raceways to which the articles are delivered from the receptacle in plural series, mechanism by which such plural series are combined in a single series, an inverting mechanism receiving articles from the raceways and delivering them to the combining mechanism, and means associated with each raceway for forcing the series of articles out of the raceways in engagement with the inverting mechanism.

15. In an apparatus for distributing headed articles, a receptacle for a mass of the articles, a plurality of raceways to which the articles are delivered from the receptacle in plural series, combining mechanism by which such plural series are combined in a single series, an inverting mechanism receiving articles from the raceways and delivering them to the combining mechanism, and a rotatable roll extending into each raceway and engaging successive articlesto force shells, a horizontal guide-plate having extending the series out of the raceways in engagement with the inverting mechanism.

16. In an apparatus for distributing headed articles, a receptacle for a mass 01 the articles, a plurality of raceways to which the articles are delivered from the receptacle in plural series, combining mechanism by which such plural series ar combined in a single series, an inverting mechanism receiving articles from the raceways and delivering them to the combining mechanism, a rotatable roll extending into each raceway and engaging successive articles to force the series out of the raceways in engagement with the inverting mechanism, and means for pressing the articles in each series against the corresponding r0 1.

17. In an apparatus for distributing articles, a receptacle for a mass of the articles, a plurality of raceways to which the articles are delivered from the receptacle in plural series, mechanism by which such plural series are received, carried side by side, combined in a single series and delivered for utilization, the supply from the receptacle to the raceways being always in excess of the delivery from the combining mechanism, and means included in each raceway for discharging the excess supply of articles therefrom.

18. In an apparatus for distributing articles, a receptacle for a mass of the articles, a plurality of raceways to which the articles are delivered from the receptacle in plural series, each raceway including rear and forward sections spaced from each other, the rear end of the forward section being at a lower level than the adjacent end of the rear section and having pivoted upon it a terminal portion projecting into the terminal portion proiectins into the space space and being movable by articles as they fall upon it through the space, and mechanism by which the plural series are combined.

' 19. In an apparatus for distributing articles, a receptacle for a mass or the articles, a plurality of raoeways to which the articles are delivered fromthe receptacle in plural series, each raceway including sections spaced from each other, the forward section having pivoted upon it a being movable by articles accumulating upon it,

a spring-actuated device by which the te portion is held yieldably said device co-operating in its normal position, with the terminal portion to form a tussle-lever. and mechanism by which the plural series are combined.

MARK E. FERNALD. 

